The Federal Republic of Germany is considered one of the main Western European partners of Azerbaijan. It especially concerns the direction of the European integration. Germany for a long time took an active participation in the OSCE Minsk group, formed for a peaceful settlement of the Armenia Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict. (http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/)

Particularly, the economic cooperation develops between the two countries. Business people and high officials form the economic structures from the German government repeatedly visited Azerbaijan. As an indication of enough development of relations, the Foreign Minister of Federal Republic of Germany Klaus Kinkel arrived in Azerbaijan for a 3 days visit, on December 20, 1995. He was accompanied by a delegation of the representatives of the German trade and banking.

Klaus Kinkel met with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, on December 22, 1995. In his conversation with him, Heydar Aliyev said he highly appreciated the assistance of Germany within the European Union, to Azerbaijan. The head of the state of Azerbaijan said he expected more German contribution to the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict: "I`am hopeful that after visit of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the examination of the situation of the region by the Foreign Minister of Germany, Germany will increase its efforts for a peaceful regulation, a fair regulation of our problem".

After Kinkel`s visit, it was reported that topics of his meetings in Azerbaijan were political and economic reforms and the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. (DPA/http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/)

After a little from his meeting with Kinkel, Heydar Aliyev paid an official visit to Germany, on July 1-4, 1996. The German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer visited Azerbaijan on May of 2001. (http://www.mfa.gov.az/)

Azerbaijan-Germany relations were always held at a sufficient high level. Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyevvisited Germany in August 2004, met with president Horst Köhler, federal chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder. He visited Germany again and made speech on the development way of Azerbaijan at the "International Bertelsmann Forum-2006", on September of 2006.(http://www.xalqqazeti.com/)

Historical background was compiled on November 30, 2006.